Final by-elections ahead of the general election

Usually council by-elections due to be held close to a general election will be scheduled to be on the same day (though the increasing variations in local election rules from those for general elections across England, Scotland and Wales makes this a less attractive combination than it used to be). However, the surprise nature of the general election timing means that some councils were caught out, and so some voters had to vote this week as well as going to the polls next week too.

Across the three principal authority contests, there were two Lib Dem candidates, one up on the last time these seats were up.

The Liberal Democrat candidates were Geoffrey Payne (Hackney) and Sarah Wills (Cumberland, in a ward where there had been no Lib Dem candidate for over a decade). Thank you both.

For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results since the last May elections, see my council by-elections scorecard here.

These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections as it’s only those for which comprehensive results are available.

What do the polls say?

The results above may tell us what voters are deciding on ballot papers, but not everywhere voted. So what’s the overall picture in the polls? Find out each week with my newsletter, The Week in Polls.

What’s happening in the Lib Dems?

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